Bio:

The Tale of Reinheardt Russ

The Early Years:
Nadia Pietrov was a noble lady of the town of Yakutsk Russia. As a child she was raised with proper values and manners befitting a noble lady. Nadia's father had arranged for her to be married to a nobleman of a rival family in Yakutsk but she had other plans, she fell in love. The man she fell in love with was a middle class carpenter named Ivanor Russ. This loved was soon discovered and the young couple was forced to flee from Yakutsk. They traveled up the Lena river to the town of Gighansk. There Reinheardt Russ was born on a cold winters day in 1746. Growing up Reinheardt seemed as if he was two people. During the day he went hunting and exploring with his father who taught him many skills in survival, combat, and exploration. At night his mother would clean him up and teach him the more delicate art of Nobility. She taught him manners, and demeanors that seemed strange to him at the time, but before long he was a well spoken man, well mannered boy. When Reinheardt was 12 a member of the rival family from Nadia’s past discovered their location, and soon after, the man she was supposed to marry came searching for his prize bride, for Nadia was the most beautiful and kind woman in all of Yakutsk. The man challenged Ivanor in single combat, and the prize was Nadia. Ivanor knew that this man was more skilled in duels then he was, but he was determined to not give up his greatest love. Never before had the rival man fought someone as strong an Ivanor and it took him by surprise, but this man was also very agile. And soon the fight was over, Ivanors powerful blow was dodged and a cold steel rapier now pierced his heart. Reinheardt was furious, at the age of 12 he ran and grabbed his fathers hammer and challenged the rival man. The man denied at first, but Reinheardt retorted saying he was a Noble of the Pietrov house and it was the rival mans duty as a fellow Noble to engage in a duel. The rival man was enraged at how this "peasant" boy presented himself as a noble. And agreed to the duel. Reinheardt fought for his mother and his father, and at that moment not even 20 grown men could stop him. He watched for the move that killed his father, when it came he skillfully parried and counter-attacked, cracking the rival mans skulls into pieces. The feud that lasted 13 long years was over. Reinheardt's father was dead. Reinheardt buried his father that day, and from that day on his most prized possession was his father's favorite flask, a flask made of silver and gold with his family’s seal engraved on the front, one that had been passed down through the family for years.

Teenage Life:
After the death of the rival man Reinheardt and his mother returned to Yakutsk for the first time. His mother was accepted back into her family. Reinheardt continued to grow up living two lives. By day he explored the wilderness surrounding Yakutsk and practiced his combat skills with the local guard, his fathers flask motivating him more everyday. His skills and renown as a fighter were becoming well known boosted perhaps by his victorious duel at the age of 12. At night attended balls and parties with his mother and the other nobles. Reinheardt knew though that he would never be fully welcomed as a Noble and was often shunned due to his father's lack of nobility. After 3 years of this living Reinheardt had learned how to incorporate his two lives into one. He learned to cover his armor with nice furs, so that he was always prepared for combat yet always fit into the Noblest of company. When he turned 15 he joined the Yakutsk Guard.

The Explorer’s Guild:
5 years Reinheardt had spent in the guard and had quickly climbed the ranks. His combat prowess combined with his social air made him a natural leader and officer. When he turned 20 he was second in command of the Yakutsk Guard, but this was not what Reinheardt had dreamed of. Life in the town bored him. And when he was given an special opportunity he took it. In 1766 a man from Moscow entered the town searching for someone to start a new division of the Explorers Guild, one that would focus on Siberia specifically areas around the Lena river. When hearing about this man Reinheardt knew this was his true calling. All his skills he was taught as a boy had now come together in the perfect position. He cashed in his life savings and together with the man named Alberroth the Explorer's Guild: Siberia Division was formed. Reinheardt suggested the Headquarters be in Gighansk where he was born for he knew this area, and it was more remote the the town of Yakutsk. Together Reinheardt and Alberroth got the Guild to a flourishing start and soon had a beautiful headquarters building and many employees. Unfortunately Reinheardt's mother died shortly after the Siberian Division was formed, leaving the Guild as his only family.

The Discovery:
In 1768 Alberroth lead an expedition into the Wilderness near Olensk, a town as far North as the Lena river went before hitting the vast Ocean. After a year of exploring Alberroth alone came back from Olensk. Strangely Alberroth did not consult with Reinheardt on what he encountered there. His only focus was returning to Moscow and reporting to higher authorities. He left only after 1 day back in Gighansk. A year later in 1770 Reinheardt received a letter from Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great Empress of Russia addressed to the the Explorers League in Moscow. The letter was forwarded along to Reinheardt along with papers from the Moscow division. This letter contained news that a great plague was sweeping it's way through Moscow and the Explorer's Guild in Moscow and St. Petersburg both believed that it had come to Moscow with Alberroth, now dead, as it's host. The Siberian Division was ordered by Catherine to send a second expedition to Olensk to find out what had happened. Reinheardt immediately and without hesitation volunteered to lead this expedition. When Reinheardt arrived in Olensk with his party, they explored the town of Olensk and, to their shock, everyone was dead. After some investigation they found that no victim had any wounds on them except for blood draining from their eyes and mouth. Using Alberroth's notes, which he left in Gighansk, Reinheardt set out with the expedition into the wilderness to locate the area Alberroth visited. After a week of traveling through the harshest weather in the world they arrived at the site. Reinheardt knew immediately that his nightmare had just begun. Before him was a camp site, and scattered throughout the site was stakes. On the stakes hung the skin of humans, like complete suits they waved in the harsh cold breeze. Hundreds were counted before Reinheardt chose to stop, fearing there were still far more. Throughout the camp strange runes and writing was found engraved in stone as if this had been a ritual site, for what no one knew. And then the worst discovery of them all had been made. On the far side of camp the snow had been cleared and somehow, whatever snow fell on the area immediately disappeared. But it was what was on the ground that made some members of the expedition vomit, and others run away. A giant picture of a demon was painted using the blood, organs, and bones of the dead surrounding the camp. Reinheardt immediately backed away and tripped over a box. The box opened and out fell countless ceremonial daggers all made with a material not known by Reinheardt. The box itself was a package, with a stamp on it showing that this box came from a dock in London. As he picked up one of the daggers to examine it a terrible yell was heard. And then a giant sound blast hit Reinheardt and knocked him back several feet. All the daggers at once shattered. A torso had landed next to Reinheardt this body did not resemble someone long dead, but one of his expedition freshly torn apart. Reinheardt immediately took up arms grasping for his shield and his hammer. At that moment what he saw made him want to run in fear. A beast stood in from of him, one like nothing he had ever seen. It seemed to be a cross between a bear and a demon, it had huge teeth and fangs, oversized legs and head, blood seeping off every inch of the beast, but blood that was black as midnight and oozed out of the beast itself but not from any visible wound. The thing that scared Reinheardt the most was a large tentacle that shot out of the beast back. Reinheardt suddenly remembered his duel so long ago a knew he had overcome overwhelming odds in the past. His fathers hammer had been replaced by another hammer, one much larger, heavier and designed for war. He gripped it tightly and awaited his death to come, and it did. The beast charged, and Reinheardt charged forward throwing all he had into a mighty shield blow. His blow caught the beast square in the jaw, the beast crumbled and fell, but not before clawing a giant gash in Reinheardt’s leg. Amassing all his power and strength Reinheardt lifted himself up with his good leg and brought his heavy hammer down upon the beasts eye, crushing whatever life the beast had in him. Reinheardt was alone, his companions dead, unexplained mysteries all around, and then he saw a man and Reinheardt fainted.

The Cover Up:
Reinheardt woke up in a room similar to a barracks and immediately found himself under guard. The gash in his leg was now covered by a giant scar that seemed would never heal completely. He was lead to the man which he had seen in Olensk. Reinheardt was handed money, a medal and a signed letter from Catherine herself congratulating him on a great job and ordering him to secrecy. No one was ever to know about what happened in Olensk and none of his questions were answered by the man who was currently holding him. Reinheardt was sent home with no answers and no explanation, only congratulations on what he considered to be a complete failure and a mystery. When he arrived back in Gighansk he gave all of his money to the Guild burned his letter of congratulations and sank his medal into the Lena river. He then appointed his second in command as active head of the Siberian Division. Desperate for answers to what he encountered and why it was covered up he set off to the once place where he thought answers may lie…....... London